As the bear charged, the man pulled out a can of bear spray and doused the beast. The grizzly didn't miss a step. The man had just enough time to bounce the empty can off its head before the bear was on him.
A fellow hunter shot and killed the grizzly as it mauled the man.
The product was intended to stop a human being, not a 400-pound grizzly bear.
That same year, the Environmental Protection Agency began regulating bear spray. At the time, there were about 15 companies marketing products they claimed would stop a bear attack. By the time the EPA was finished, there were five.
Fast forward to today and Chuck Bartlebaugh, founder and director of the Missoula-based Center for Wildlife Information, says there remain plenty of “myths and misinformation about bear spray.”
“Too many people are buying the wrong product,” Bartlebaugh said. “And when they find themselves in a situation where they have to use it, they're not using it correctly.”
Either mistake can be deadly.
It's truly a case of consumer beware, as Bartlebaugh discovered during a recent trip in and around Yellowstone National Park.
Inside the park, stores were careful only to carry EPA-approved bear sprays. But once he left the park's boundaries, Bartlebaugh found a completely different situation. Many stores carried displays that contained both personal defense products and those approved as bear spray.
And about 35 percent of the people selling the products - he quizzed them - didn't know the difference.
That ignorance not only puts people in harm's way, it's also illegal, said David Rise, an EPA environmental protection specialist in Helena.
Bear spray is regulated as a pesticide by the EPA. Self-defense sprays aren't regulated. Misrepresenting a self-defense product as bear spray violates federal pesticide laws, which could bring penalties of up to $50,000 and a year in prison.
“I've done numerous inspections of dealers and several places with confusing displays,” Rise said. “Many of those were surprised to hear they could be violating federal pesticide laws by potentially misleading consumers.”
Currently there are four products registered by the EPA. The licensing process is strict.
“They have to prove what they say on the label to us,” Rise said. “They have to prove to us that they have what they say in the can. There can be no question.”
Capsaicin, the chemical that makes hot peppers hot, is an EPA-approved active ingredient in pepper sprays used to deter attacks by bears. If the can doesn't say it contains that product or doesn't somewhere include an EPA registration number, then it isn't bear spray.
“It's that simple,” Rise said.
But it's easy to be confused. In some cases, it appears companies are going the extra mile to ensure people are befuddled. One can Rise came across appeared to have light gray claw marks on its side.
“They're finger marks made to look like claw marks,” he said. “It looks almost identical to bear spray, but it's not bear spray. People have to pay attention.”
Once they buy the right product, Bartlebaugh said people need to make sure they use it correctly.
When used properly, the spray temporarily distracts a bear from its charge and gives people a chance to leave the area.
“It doesn't disable the bear. The spray causes it to temporarily lose its sight and smell. It distracts it,” Bartlebaugh said. “It does take some time for it to work. If a bear is 10 feet away and charging when it's sprayed, it won't stop it dead in its tracks.”
If a bear does charge, don't take aim with the can. You'll probably end up shooting over the animal's head, Bartlebaugh said.
Instead point the can a bit downward and move it slightly side to side to create a cloud between you and the bear. At the same time, shout at the bear - something like “go away” and maintain a positive body language.
“You're telling the bear to stop,” he said. “You're telling it you don't want it to come any closer.”
Sometimes the whooshing sound of a can being discharged is enough to turn a bear. Other times, when a bear is surprised in close proximity, it can come right through the cloud and attack. If that happens, lay down flat in a passive position and hope the spray takes effect quickly.
Bartlebaugh said he heard one story where a woman encountered a bear. She sprayed it and seconds later it was upon her. A short period later, it sat down on her as the spray took effect.
It finally got up and walked away, he said.
Bartlebaugh has used the spray on two different occasions in Alaska, including both a close encounter and one where the bear charged from a distance. It worked both times.
He recommends studying any new product, both to see how far and how long it will spray. At the very least, Bartlebaugh said it should spray out 25 feet and last 6 seconds.
Someday he hopes to see manufacturers increase that capacity.
The spray should only be used for self-defense against a bear. Spraying a non-aggressive bear could just make it mad.
“Bears just want to be left alone,” he said. “They act no different than we would if someone we didn't know walked into our home without introducing themselves.”
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